


Troublesome, and no Trouble at All

by comixologist



Category: Naruto
Genre: Crush, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-07
Updated: 2010-11-07
Packaged: 2017-10-13 02:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/132065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comixologist/pseuds/comixologist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shikamaru is cloudgazing.  Chouji is Shikamaru-gazing.  It works well for them, somehow.</p><p>Set before Rescue Sasuke arc. Originally written in December of 2004.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Troublesome, and no Trouble at All

"That's such a kick in the ass," Shikamaru half-growled, his eyes closed, as he arched his back, re-settling on the cool green grass. Chouji felt his cheeks redden, his friend inching his way over until his head rested on one pudgy thigh. Chouji cleared his throat, chancing a smile, and shook his head just slightly. Shikamaru cracked one eye open,and nodded. "Much better."

This way, the sun wasn't in his eyes. On the plus side, he knew that as soon as he dozed off again, his friend would be stroking his hair. Shikamaru paid attention.

He knew that whenever Ino popped up, Chouji's shoulders slumped just slightly, but he took her teasing with a good-spirited smile, so long as he didn't say anything to-the-point (or pudge). Shikamaru knew that when he "wasn't looking," Chouji would side-long glance over at him with his pouty, cupid's-bow lips pressed into an awkward line, like he did when he was thinking his hardest. That face always made Shikamaru smile. He knew that when Chouji was upset, he'd wring his hands before reaching for a bag of chips, but if he was just pretending for a few minutes' of silence sitting side-by-side, he hugged the bag to his chest and picked each chip out one at a time, plucked by thumb and fore-finger.

Shikamaru knew that Chouji hadn't so much as looked at his packed lunch since he'd been pointing out shapes in the clouds. He was still waiting for Akimichi to get up the nerve to say something, though - he couldn't just lead him around everywhere. Those pouting lips curved into an almost smile, the boy's pudgy fingers curling half an inch at the shell of Shikamaru's ear, cradling his head without laying a hand on him.  
Shikamaru was thinking that it was about time.

"I'm.. thinking about giving up on this," Chouji sighed, turning sensitive brown-and-gold eyes upwards, into the leaves of the tree overhead. Shikamaru's breath hitched before evening out, and Chouji's thumb slid almost absentmindedly across the lobe of his ear, making his friend's neck prickle over in gooseflesh.  
Chouji always was one to stump him, the only one who ever really evaded Shikamaru's read-ahead world of logic. "What the hell for?"

"I'm.. not any good at it," Chouji snorted, looking down at his friend and wetting his lips - a telltale sign that there was something else on his mind, duely noted. "Not like you or Ino, or anybody." Chouji would venture to say that even Naruto was better at this ninja stuff than he was, but that wasn't entirely true - Naruto's stomach had a louder growl, and he only rumpled potato chip bags.

"You're so full of shit, Chouji," Shikamaru said, the corner of his mouth twitching in a hint of a grin. The larger of the two laughed. "I mean it," Shikamaru added, cracking an eye open again, even though the glare of the sun around Chouji's stubbornly upward-reaching hair made his cheeks hurt for all the squinting.  
"And it'll be a pain to try and replace you."

Chouji jerked the leg that Shikamaru was resting on upwards, nudging him and making him almost-laugh. With a sigh, Shikamaru reached up one still soft-skinned hand and swatted at Chouji's cheek. He caught his chin, playfully swiping under it, fingertips brushing baby-soft skin. He didn't have to add that he meant off the team as well. He knew Chouji would understand.

"I'm slowing you down enough as it is."

Shikamaru paused, sighing and pulling his hands back, holding them over his chest, just his fingertips touching. Chouji wondered why he had to concentrate, and leaned forward just a little, as if he might pick up the whisperings of his friend's mind by just paying close enough attention.

"Chouji," Shikamaru said, arching one eyebrow though he kept his eyes stubbornly closed, "Do I seem like I'm in a hurry?"

Hot, slightly clammy fingers curled lightly at the curve of Shikamaru's jaw, fingertips tipping his chin slightly upwards. Chouji lingered, and Shikamaru made a point of not moving an inch, his breath awkwardly tight in his chest. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, Chouji craned his neck, tipped his head slightly to one side, regarding the lazy arc of Shikamaru's lower lip.

The kiss was tiny, a barely-there brush of electric contact, and then Chouji was pulling back, his eyes on the grass, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to formulate some kind of excuse for when Shikamaru asked him what the hell he was getting at.

"You're worse than troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled, cracking an eye open again, to find that Chouji's cheeks had tinged a darker shade of red. Even the tips of his ears were flushed.

"J-jus--"

Shikamaru cut him off, catching his wrist in gentle hands, keeping the other boy's palm against his cheek. "You're worth the bother."

Chouji's chest felt too tight for his heart for half a moment, before Shikamaru's smile finally broke, and he laughed. "Ain't that a kick in the ass."


End file.
